The 5.56x45mm NATO is a rimless bottleneck centerfire rifle cartridge with a .224-inch bullet diameter, derived from the .223 Remington, standardized by NATO in 1980 around FN Herstal’s SS109 ball load, and loaded today mainly for AR-15-pattern rifles, from 55-grain M193-type ball to 62-grain penetrator, match and defensive bullets.
This guide sets out the velocity, energy and bullet drop that each maker publishes for the 5.56 loads charted here. Where a maker publishes nothing for a range, a barrel or a ballistic coefficient, the tables say so instead of filling the gap. Because the 5.56x45mm NATO is a NATO specification and not a SAAMI one, the comparison further down is against the 223 Remington, the SAAMI cartridge it was derived from.
5.56x45mm NATO ballistics chart
Each row is one load, with its item number, bullet weight, muzzle velocity and muzzle energy as that maker publishes them. The test barrel and the bullet weight change from row to row, so check them before you compare. The Hornady CX, Frontier Cartridge and Black Hills rows state a 20 in barrel, while the Aguila and Fiocchi pages publish none. Bullet weight is 55 grains on the Aguila, Hornady, Frontier Cartridge and Fiocchi rows and 62 grains on the Black Hills row. The Frontier Cartridge row comes from Hornady’s own page for its Frontier line. “Not published” means the maker’s page gives no figure.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Load | Item no. | Bullet weight | Bullet | Muzzle velocity | Muzzle energy | Ballistic coefficient | Maker’s application | Test barrel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aguila Full Metal Jacket | 1E556155 | 55 gr | Full Metal Jacket | 3,164 fps | 1,231 ft-lb | not published, drag model not stated | Target/Range | not published |
| Hornady CX® | 812544 | 55 gr | CX® | 3,175 fps | 1,231 ft-lb | not published, drag model not stated | Not published | 20 in |
| Frontier Cartridge FMJ (M193) | FR200 | 55 gr | FMJ (M193) | 3,240 fps | 1,282 ft-lb | not published, drag model not stated | Not published | 20 in |
| Fiocchi Full Metal Jacket Boat-Tail | 556M193L | 55 gr | Full Metal Jacket Boat-Tail | 3,240 fps | 1,282 ft-lb | .243, drag model not stated | Target Shooting | not published |
| Black Hills Ammunition Barnes TSX | Not published | 62 gr | Barnes TSX | 3,000 fps | 1,239 ft-lb | not published, drag model not stated | Not published | 20 in |
Velocity and energy downrange
The Hornady CX, Frontier Cartridge and Fiocchi pages publish velocity and energy at each 100 yd step out to 500 yd. Aguila publishes a 100 yd row only, so its later cells say “Not published”, and the Black Hills page gives muzzle figures only, so it has no row here. 500 yd is the last range any maker gives, and nothing on this page goes beyond it.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Load (test barrel) | Muzzle | 100 yd | 200 yd | 300 yd | 400 yd | 500 yd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aguila 55 gr (not published) | 3,164 fps / 1,231 ft-lb | 2,781 fps / 944 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Hornady 55 gr (20 in) | 3,175 fps / 1,231 ft-lb | 2,781 fps / 944 ft-lb | 2,420 fps / 715 ft-lb | 2,086 fps / 531 ft-lb | 1,781 fps / 388 ft-lb | 1,511 fps / 279 ft-lb |
| Frontier Cartridge 55 gr (20 in) | 3,240 fps / 1,282 ft-lb | 2,837 fps / 983 ft-lb | 2,468 fps / 744 ft-lb | 2,128 fps / 553 ft-lb | 1,817 fps / 403 ft-lb | 1,540 fps / 290 ft-lb |
| Fiocchi 55 gr (not published) | 3,240 fps / 1,282 ft-lb | 2,836 fps / 982 ft-lb | 2,467 fps / 743 ft-lb | 2,126 fps / 552 ft-lb | 1,814 fps / 402 ft-lb | 1,537 fps / 288 ft-lb |
Bullet drop, with the zero range stated
A drop figure means nothing without the range at which the rifle is zeroed, so each row states its zero. Neither the Hornady CX page nor the Frontier Cartridge page states a zero in words, so each zero here is the range where that page’s drop column reads 0 in: 100 yd for the Hornady CX and 200 yd for the Frontier Cartridge. Values are inches above or below the line of sight, and a minus sign means below. Aguila publishes no drop, the Black Hills page gives muzzle figures only, and the Fiocchi drop columns are left out because they cannot be read without ambiguity. The zeros differ, so read each row on its own.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Load (zero) | 100 yd | 200 yd | 300 yd | 400 yd | 500 yd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornady 55 gr (100 yd zero) | 0 in | −3 in | −12.1 in | −29.1 in | −57.3 in |
| Frontier Cartridge 55 gr (200 yd zero) | +1.4 in | 0 in | −7.2 in | −22.1 in | −47.7 in |
What the numbers mean for a shot
Start with the muzzle table and stay inside this one cartridge. The rows that state a 20 in test barrel share a basis, so they are the ones to set side by side: the Frontier Cartridge 55-grain at 3,240 fps and 1,282 ft-lb, the Hornady CX 55-grain at 3,175 fps and 1,231 ft-lb, and the Black Hills 62-grain Barnes TSX at 3,000 fps and 1,239 ft-lb. The heavier Black Hills bullet is the slowest of these, yet its muzzle energy is higher than the Hornady CX’s: weight can make up for speed. The Aguila page (3,164 fps, 1,231 ft-lb) and the Fiocchi page (3,240 fps, 1,282 ft-lb) give no test barrel, so their figures cannot be tied to one. A rifle with a barrel shorter than a maker’s test barrel should expect lower velocities than the table shows.
Downrange, each published step is lower than the one before it. At 100 yd the Hornady CX reads 2,781 fps and 944 ft-lb, the Frontier Cartridge 2,837 fps and 983 ft-lb and the Fiocchi 2,836 fps and 982 ft-lb. At 500 yd the Hornady CX reads 1,511 fps and 279 ft-lb, the Frontier Cartridge 1,540 fps and 290 ft-lb and the Fiocchi 1,537 fps and 288 ft-lb. That is the last range any maker publishes, so the tables say nothing about a longer shot. Aguila’s only downrange row, at 100 yd, is 2,781 fps and 944 ft-lb, the same as the Hornady CX row even though the muzzle velocities differ; it is printed as Aguila’s page gives it.
Bullet drop is the figure to read with the zero beside it. The Hornady CX, zeroed at 100 yd, is 0 in at 100 yd, then 3 in below the line of sight at 200 yd, 12.1 in at 300 yd, 29.1 in at 400 yd and 57.3 in at 500 yd. The Frontier Cartridge, zeroed at 200 yd, is 1.4 in above the line of sight at 100 yd and 0 in at 200 yd, then 7.2 in below at 300 yd, 22.1 in at 400 yd and 47.7 in at 500 yd. The rows use different zeros, so part of the gap between them is the zero and not the bullet. Do not read them as a ranking.
What the tables do not give you is bullet shape. Fiocchi is the only maker in the tables to publish a ballistic coefficient, .243, and its page does not say which drag model it uses, so it cannot be dropped into a ballistic calculator without a guess. The other makers publish none. The bullets also differ: an M193 full metal jacket on the Frontier Cartridge row, a full metal jacket on the Aguila, a boat-tail full metal jacket on the Fiocchi, a lead-free CX solid hollow point on the Hornady and a Barnes TSX on the Black Hills, and the energy columns do not capture that difference.
Twist rate, chamber and pressure
The only SAAMI figures on this page belong to the 223 Remington, not to the 5.56x45mm NATO. SAAMI lists the 223 Remington at a maximum average pressure of 55,000 psi, in a standard test barrel of 24.000 in with a twist of 1 turn in 12.00 in and a groove diameter of .224 in. For the 5.56x45mm NATO, SAAMI gives no pressure, no test barrel and no twist, because the cartridge is a NATO specification and not one of the cartridges standardized in ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4.
That matters at the chamber. Because SAAMI has no 5.56x45mm NATO standard, the two are not freely interchangeable in a rifle chambered for the SAAMI cartridge, so do not assume that one fits the other. Read the chamber marking on your barrel and your rifle maker’s manual, and buy the ammunition they name. The twist above is SAAMI’s test-barrel twist for measuring velocity, not a recommendation for your rifle and not a limit on bullet weight. None of the maker tables above carries a twist rate, and the twist of your own barrel is set by its maker.
Winchester loads: no published ballistics
Winchester loads are stocked in this cartridge too, including 55-grain and 62-grain USA loads, and there is no Winchester row on this page. Winchester’s own product pages for those items state that no ballistics data is available, and this page does not print a number a maker has not published. The heaviest load in the tables is 62 grains.
5.56x45mm NATO vs 223 Remington: what SAAMI does and does not publish
Catalog tables from different makers are not like for like. The muzzle table above shows why: some rows state a 20 in test barrel and others state none, so one maker’s figure set beside another’s compares test setups as much as cartridges. SAAMI is the shared basis. It publishes the velocity of each reference load at 15 feet from a defined test barrel, alongside a maximum average pressure, and it does so on the same footing for each cartridge it standardizes. The comparison below is built only from SAAMI’s data for that reason.
It has one gap, and the gap is the finding. The 5.56x45mm NATO is a NATO specification and is not one of the cartridges standardized in ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4, so its column is empty as a matter of fact rather than omission. That absence is the reason the two are not freely interchangeable in a rifle chambered for the SAAMI cartridge.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| SAAMI specification | 5.56x45mm NATO | 223 Remington |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | None | Z299.4 |
| Maximum average pressure | No SAAMI figure | 55,000 psi |
| Standard test barrel length | Not standardised by SAAMI | 24.000 in |
| Test barrel twist rate | Not standardised by SAAMI | 1 turn in 12.00 in |
| Test barrel groove diameter | Not standardised by SAAMI | .224 in |
| Common 55-grain reference load | Not listed | 55 gr — 3,050–3,215 fps / 1,136–1,262 ft-lb |
| Heaviest reference load | Not listed | 77 gr — 2,670–2,785 fps / 1,219–1,326 ft-lb |
Read the table one column at a time. The 223 Remington column is complete: ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4, a maximum average pressure of 55,000 psi, a 24.000 in test barrel with a twist of 1 turn in 12.00 in, and a groove diameter of .224 in. Its 55-grain reference load is listed at 3,050 to 3,215 fps, or 1,136 to 1,262 ft-lb, and its heaviest, at 77 grains, at 2,670 to 2,785 fps, or 1,219 to 1,326 ft-lb. SAAMI does not publish energy, so those energy figures are computed from SAAMI’s velocities.
The 5.56x45mm NATO column is empty in every row. SAAMI gives no pressure, no test barrel, no twist and no reference loads for it, so the table cannot say which of the two is faster or stronger. Setting the maker figures above against the 223 Remington rows would put a 20 in or unstated barrel beside SAAMI’s 24.000 in one, so this page does not do it.
The table also cannot settle bullet shape. SAAMI publishes no ballistic coefficient, so it says nothing about how either bullet holds its speed downrange. For that, use the maker’s own figures for the exact load; among the loads above, only Fiocchi’s .243 is published, with its drag model not stated.
We stock the other side of this comparison too: 223 ammo.
5.56x45mm NATO ballistics questions
How much does a 5.56 drop at 100 yards?
How much a 5.56 drops at 100 yd depends on the zero. In the published rows it is not below the line of sight at all: the Hornady CX 55-grain, with a 100 yd zero, reads 0 in at 100 yd, and the Frontier Cartridge 55-grain, with a 200 yd zero, reads 1.4 in above it. Only those loads carry a drop figure; the others have no drop row.
Is 5.56 more powerful than 223 Remington?
This page cannot rank them from SAAMI, because SAAMI publishes no figures for the 5.56x45mm NATO. The SAAMI data here covers only the 223 Remington, at a maximum average pressure of 55,000 psi. The maker tables show what individual 5.56 loads do, for example 3,240 fps and 1,282 ft-lb at the muzzle for the Frontier Cartridge 55-grain, but those rows come from a 20 in barrel or from none stated, not from SAAMI’s 24.000 in test barrel, so setting them beside the SAAMI 223 Remington rows would mix measuring bases.
What barrel length do the published 5.56 figures come from?
The Hornady CX, Frontier Cartridge and Black Hills rows state a 20 in test barrel. The Aguila and Fiocchi pages publish none, so those rows cannot be tied to a barrel length. SAAMI’s own test barrel for the 223 Remington is 24.000 in, and SAAMI has no test barrel for the 5.56x45mm NATO. A rifle with a barrel shorter than 20 in should expect lower velocities than these rows show.
How far will a 5.56 shoot accurately?
The makers do not publish an accuracy range, and accuracy also depends on the rifle, barrel, sights and shooter, none of which these tables measure. What they publish is velocity and energy, and for the Hornady CX, Frontier Cartridge and Fiocchi loads that runs to 500 yd, the last range any maker gives. At 500 yd the Hornady CX reads 1,511 fps and 279 ft-lb, the Frontier Cartridge 1,540 fps and 290 ft-lb, and the Fiocchi 1,537 fps and 288 ft-lb. Aguila stops at 100 yd and Black Hills gives muzzle figures only.
What caliber is 5.56 equal to?
The 5.56x45mm NATO takes a .224-inch bullet and was derived from the .223 Remington, so the 223 Remington is the SAAMI cartridge closest to it; SAAMI lists that cartridge’s test-barrel groove diameter as .224 in. They are not the same standard, though. SAAMI has no 5.56x45mm NATO entry, which is why the two are not freely interchangeable in a rifle chambered for the SAAMI cartridge.
Will 5.56 penetrate walls?
The makers do not publish wall or barrier penetration figures, so nothing in the tables answers this, and muzzle velocity and energy alone do not settle it. The bullets in the tables differ: full metal jacket on the Aguila, Frontier Cartridge (M193) and Fiocchi (boat-tail) rows, a lead-free CX solid hollow point on the Hornady and a Barnes TSX on the Black Hills. Look to the maker or to independent test data for the exact load.
Where to buy these loads
Every load in the tables above is stocked at Hilltop Armory. Browse the full 5.56 ammo range, which carries makers beyond the ones charted here — the tables are limited to loads whose manufacturer publishes figures that could be verified, not to everything on the shelf.
